Thursday, April 21, 2011

Basics of Blood Pressure

Understanding Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the measure of pressure exerted within your arteries by the blood being pumped out and the pressure within your arteries when the heart rests. The heart pumps blood out to the body and blood flows back into the heart. Your pulse is your heart rate, or the number of times your heart beats in one minute.

Blood pressure is determined by:

1. The amount of blood pumped by the left ventricle of the heart into the arteries

2. the resistance to the flow of blood caused by the wall of the arterioles (smaller arteries)

How a normal body maintains normal blood pressure:

1. The heart can speed up and contract more frequently

2. The Veins can expand (lowers) and narrow (raises)

3. The arterioles can expand (lowers)and narrow (raises)

4. The kidney can increase urine (lowers) or decrease (raises)

changes in the production fo urine will affect blood pressure slowly over hours and days

Normal blood pressure is 120/80, read as "120 over 80." The first number is the systolic number. This is the pressure in your arteries when your heart contracts and pumps blood out. The second number is the diastolic number, representing the pressure when your heart is at rest.

The range: highest normal 140/90 Lowest Normal 90/60

Pulse for adult should be between 60 to 100 beats per minute

Blood pressure will vary at different times of day

If you are dehydrated in the morning which is common if your adrenal function is low, your blood pressure may be high until you drink plenty of water.

Raises Blood Pressure :

Eeating large meals divert blood to the digestive system which diverts blood away from other major organs (the heart, brain and lungs etc.) This makes the body has to work harder to get oxygen to the cells. Blood Pressure and pulse are increased to meet this demand for oxygen.. This is why after eating a big meal people often fall asleep because the extra energy demands on the body cause tiredness. (can last for two hours after meal)

Meals high is fat will increase the viscosity of your blood -- its thickness, which slows your blood flow. This forces the heart to work harder, which increases pressure within your arteries, thereby raising blood pressure. (can raise it for five hours after a high fat meal)

Fluid retention in your circulatory system can cause high blood pressure.

These include excessive salt intake, poor kidney function, and high levels of certain hormones like renin, angiotensin, and cortisol.

Stiff arteries lined with plaque

Excessive weight

These will raise Blood pressure

to get an accurate reading wait at least half an hour after:

when you are excited or tense

while you are taking a bath

during exercise or soon after exercising

when it is cold

within one hour after eating

after drinking coffee, tea or other beverages containing caffeine

after smoking tobacco

when your bladder is full

Will lower Blood Pressure

A diet low in saturated fats and high in fiber, found in fruits and vegetables, will reduce the amount of fats stored in your body, thus lowering the viscosity of your blood and keep blood pressure lower..

Sleep causes a fall in blood pressure. The lowest beings about two hours after falling asleep.

If your adrenal glands work, then your blood pressure would raise toward morning and wake you up gradually.

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Disclaimer

Please remember that you must consult a doctor for medical advice. All I can do is share my experiences as a person who had Addison's Disease for 15 years. My adrenal failure was the result of excessive stress to my adrenal glands. When I was able to discover and eliminate this stress, my adrenal glands healed. Now, I am no longer on any medication. My adrenal problems were not the result of damage to my adrenal glands, or the lack of functioning of some other gland. I simply reached a point of adrenal exhaustion.

Please Note

Any level where a person's production of adrenal hormones is lower than normal, can be called Low Adrenal Function, Adrenal Exhaustion, Adrenal Fatigue, or Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS). The term "Addison's Disease" is reserved for the point where at least 90% of your adrenal cortex (the outer part of your adrenal glands which produces cortisone) is not producing enough cortisone for your body to function well. The glands may be destroyed or simply fatigued. At this point replacement adrenal hormone medication is prescribed. If excessive stress has caused you to have symptoms of low adrenal function, reducing stress might help you avoid future adrenal failure (Addison's disease). Symptoms, coping, and stress reduction would be similar for any level of low adrenal function.

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I am a wife, mother of four, grandmother, member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon), writer of nine blogs, published author, editor, teacher, children's tutor, creative writing mentor, and business manager. Links to my blogs are in my complete profile.